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LIBRARY  HANDBOOKS 


MENDING  AND  REPAIR 
OF  BOOKS 


American  Library  Association 
Publishing  Board 

Chicago,  111. 
1921 


MENDING  AND  REPAIR 
OF  BOOKS 


COMPILED    BY 

MARGARET  WRIGHT  BROWN 


FOURTH  EDITION 

REVISED  BY 

GERTRUDE  STILES 
Supervisor  of  Binding,  Cleveland  Public  Library 


AMERICAN  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION    PUBLISHING    BOARD 
CHICAGO 

"  1921 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 7 

WHEN  TO  BIND  OR  WHEN  TO  MEND 9 

THE  MENDING  TABLE:    ITS  SUPPLIES 11 

PASTE,  THE  MENDING  MEDIUM 12 

WAYS  TO  MEND   .    « 13 

WAYS  TO  CLEAN 19 

BINDING  RECORD 21 

TEMPORARY  BINDERS 23 


429476 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 

THE  task  of  mending  demands  so  much  of  the  time  and 
energy  of  library  workers  and  is  a  factor  of  such  eco- 
nomic importance  in  every  public  library  that  it  cannot  be 
put  aside  as  incidental. 

It  is  hoped  that  these  suggestions  may  give  definite  aid 
in  this  homely  task  which  is  ever  present  in  all  libraries. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  give  instruction  in  the 
advanced  processes  of  mending,  as  this  at  once  encroaches 
on  the  art  of  binding. 

The  best  mending  can  be  done  only  where  an  acquaintance 
with  the  construction  of  the  book  has  been  acquired  through 
a  study  of  the  various  processes  of  binding.  Librarians  are 
urged  to  visit  binderies  to  see  the  various  processes;  and  to 
study  the  art  of  binding  under  personal  instruction  of  experi- 
enced binders  whenever  this  is  feasible. 

It  is  not  probable  that  any  one  librarian  will  use  all  of 
the  processes  suggested,  and  some  of  these  will  apply  only 
to  exceptional  cases;  but  the  directions  cover  diversified  con- 
ditions in  order  that  the  librarian  may  have  the  necessary 
information  whenever  required. 

THE  EXPERIENCED  MENDER.  This  handbook  has  not  been 
prepared  for  the  use  of  the  larger  libraries  where  a  bindery 
is  a  part  of  the  equipment,  or  where  there  are  members  of 
the  staff  trained  in  binding  and  hence  experienced  menders. 

THE  INEXPERIENCED  MENDER.  The  purpose  of  this  hand- 
book is  to  give  practical  aid  and  guidance  to  librarians  who 
are  entirely  inexperienced  in  the  work  of  mending  and  repair 
of  books  and  whose  knowledge  must  be  gained  through  self- 
instruction. 

The  compilers  have  drawn  upon  many  sources  and  have 
endeavored  to  make  available  the  suggestions  received  and 
methods  used  by  many  librarians  and  practical  binders,  and 
grateful  acknowledgment  is  herewith  made  for  the  co-opera- 
tion and  helpful  suggestions  received  from  them. 


Mending  and  Repair  of  Books 


WHEN  TO  BIND  OR  WHEN 
TO  MEND 

THE  question  when  to  bind  or  when  to  mend  is  of  daily 
recurrence,   and   a   decision   must   be  made   upon   the 
examination  of  every  circulating  book  returned,  before  plac- 
ing it  on  the  shelves.     The  answer  will  depend  largely  on 
the  policy  of  the  library  regarding  the  binding  question. 

No  library  can  afford  to  circulate  shabby,  soiled  or  ragged 
books,  because: 

(1)  From  an  economic  standpoint,  a  book's  Ultimate  use- 
fulness, or  life,  is  materially  shortened  by  neglect  to  bind 
at  first  sign  of  need. 

(2)  When  books  are  given  proper  care  by  the  library, 
standards  are  set  which  insure  a  like  treatment  on  the 
part  of  the  reading  public. 

(3)  The  reading  public  has  a  right  to  expect  that  its 
books  shall  be  clean   and  whole,   and   that   its   property 
shall  be  in  proper  condition  for  satisfactory  use. 

WHEN  TO  BIND 

When  the  stitches  break  and  a  section  or  a  few  leaves  fall 
out,  the  book  should  be  sent  to  the  bindery  immediately. 

This  is  happening  daily  with  the  original  publishers' 
bindings.  If  the  book  is  removed  from  the  shelves  the 
librarian  is  at  once  confronted  by  the  problem  of  being 
unable  to  answer  the  unceasing  cry  for  the  last  new 
novel,  as  it  is  the  fiction  which  is  usually  in  this  condi- 
tion. However,  if  the  book  is  allowed  to  circulate  a 
few  more  times  there  are  "pages  missing"  and  the  book 
has  become  valueless. 

No  book  should  be  rebound  with  pages  missing. 

When  the  stitches  have  not  broken,  but  either  a  few  or 
all  the  sections  have  become  loose: 

There  is  no  excuse  for  the  librarian  to  leave  upon  her 
shelves  or  permit  to  circulate  books  that  are  held  together 

9 


10  MENPING   OF  BOOKS 

only  by  the  slender  threads  with  which  they  are  sewed 
and  threatening  at  any  moment  to  come  tumbling  forth 
from  the  cover.  Such  books  speak  in  no  uncertain  terms 
for  rebinding  or  permanent  withdrawal  from  the  shelves. 

Shall  books  be  sent  to  the  bindery  when  in  greatest  demand? 
YES,  when  they  cannot  be  circulated  further  without  per- 
manent injury  to  them. 

Such  books  should  be  hastened  through  the  bindery  by 
statement  to  binder  regarding  immediate  need.  If  your 
present  binder  cannot  bind  promptly,  find  one  who  will. 

The  prompt  rebinding  of  a  book  more  than  doubles  its 
life.  If  the  book  has  been  reinforced  at  first  sign  of  giv- 
ing way  (see  page  16)  all  the  temporary  assistance  that 
can  safely  be  given  has  been  rendered  and  if  the  book 
is  of  permanent  value  to  the  library  it  must  be  rebound. 

WHEN  TO  MEND 

When  the  stitches  are  not  broken  or  loosened,  and  still 
hold  sections  firmly  together. 

When  the  joints  are  loose. 

When  the  book  has  once  been  rebound. 

The  tendency  among  librarians  is  to  mend  too  much  be- 
fore rebinding.  Mending  makes  rebinding  more  difficult  and 
jeopardizes  the  life  of  the  book. 

It  is  only  in  rare  cases,  as  for  example  when  a  book  is 
out  of  print,  and  yet  valuable  to  the  library,  that  a  second 
rebinding  is  justified. 

WHEN  TO  REPLACE 

Will  it  be  cheaper  to  mend  a  book  and,  when  its  short  life 
is  done,  withdraw  and  replace  with  a  new  copy? 

YES,  when  the  original  cost  is  less  than  rebinding. 

NOTE — In  the  decision  to  replace,  the  labor  of  accession- 
ing and  withdrawal  must  always  be  taken  into  account. 

The  fresh,  clean  copies  of  the  "easy  books"  and  other 
good,  inexpensive  juvenile  books  are  to  be  preferred  to 
rebound  copies.  If  the  original  binding  is  so  poor  that  a 
second  copy  would  shortly  be  in  the  same  condition  as  the 
first,  it  is  then  advisable  to  send  the  book  promptly  to 
the  bindery  for  recasing,  preferably  before  circulating. 


MENDING   OF  BOOKS  11 

Greater  durability  is  thus  insured.  If  the  book  has  an 
attractive  original  cover  it  is  preserved  and  the  value 
of  the  book  enhanced  thereby. 

YES,  when  the  paper  is  of  such  poor  quality  that  the 
leaves  break  away  from  the  stitching. 

YES,  when  the  book  is  extremely  soiled;  replace,  even  if 
it  costs  more  than  rebinding. 

YES,  when  a  new  edition,  or  better  books  on  the  same 
subject  have  been  published. 

In  replacing  fiction,  inexpensive  editions  are  available  for 
many  popular  titles  in  the  Grosset  &  Dunlap  edition, 
Burt  Home  Library,  Everyman's  Library,  etc. 

Some  inexpensive  editions  rebind  and  wear  as  well  as 
the  first  editions.  Others  because  of  narrow  margins  or 
quality  of  paper  do  not  pay  to  rebind.  A  little  observa- 
tion and  experience  will  soon  prove  what  titles  can  be 
rebound  to  advantage. 

THE  MENDING  TABLE: 
ITS  SUPPLIES 

A  piece  of  glass  or  white  oil  cloth,  cut  to  fit  the  size  of  the 
table,  will  be  found  most  conducive  to  cleanliness,  as  it  can 
be  quickly  and  easily  washed. 

PASTE.    Mixed  paste  or  powder  form.    See  page  12. 

CLOTH.  White  outing  flannel,  cheese  cloth  and  cheap 
grade  of  canton  flannel,  purchased  by  the  yard  at  any 
dry  goods  store. 

Art  Vellum  in  assorted  colors,  cut  in  strips. 
Muslin  cut  in  strips. 

PAPER.  Onion  skin  bond,  cockle  finish,  9  Ib.  weight  cut 
into  strips  for  use;  tissue  paper. 

BRUSHES.  Flat,  rubber-set  photographer's  brush,  about 
1  inch  wide;  also  artist's  round  bristle  Yt  inch  thick. 

SCISSORS.    Slender,  six-inch  blade,  good  quality. 

KNIFE.  Shoemaker's  long  blade,  square  at  end,  or  com- 
mon paring-knife  purchased  at  hardware  store. 

FOLDER.    Bone,  purchased  at  stationer's. 

NEEDLES.  Sharps,  No.  1,  or  any  strong  and  not  too  coarse 
darning  needle. 


12  MENDING  OF  BOOKS 

THREAD.    Hayes'  linen,  No.  25;  Harbour's  linen,  No.  40. 

PRESSING  TINS.  6x8  in.,  obtained  at  tin  shop.  Zinc  is 
pleasanter  to  use  and  will  not  rust. 

CLEANSERS.  Wash  for  pages ;  wash  for  book  covers ;  pow- 
dered pumice  stone ;  art  gum,  sponge  rubber. 

SHELLAC.  Consult  local  druggist  or  paint  dealer  regard- 
ing the  best  white  shellac. 

PRESS.  An  old  letter-press  can  usually  be  purchased 
locally  for  a  small  sum.  Prices  on  new  copying  press 
10x12  in.  obtained  of  local  stationer.  If  press  is  not 
secured,  old  pieces  of  marble  can  be  used.  Bricks 
covered  with  paper  make  good  pressing  weights. 

A  local  bindery  or  any  binder's  supply  house  will  furnish 
mending  materials;  also  price  list  and  samples  of  materials 
may  be  obtained  from  the  following: 

Democrat  Printing  Co.,  Madison,  Wisconsin. 
Gaylord  Bros.,  Syracuse,  New  York. 

PASTE,  THE  MENDING  MEDIUM 

Paste  may  be  used  with  less  danger  of  injury  to  the 
book  than  glue,  and  is  the  only  mending  medium  which  should 
be  used  on  books  that  are  to  be  rebound.  Under  no  condi- 
tion should  mucilage  be  used  on  any  book  which  is  to  be 
rebound.  Some  librarians  persist  in  doing  this  and  then 
expect  the  binder  to  do  good  work.  Glue  should  be  used 
only  by  experienced  menders. 

USE.  Paste  for  small  surfaces  is  more  evenly  spread  with 
the  finger,  and  there  is  less  waste  than  with  a  brush. 
Spread  thinly,  using  only  enough  paste  to  make  paper 
stick  securely. 

Thick  paste  spreads  more  smoothly  than  thin  and  is 
not  taken  up  quickly  by  the  paper.  This  is  an  impor- 
tant point,  for  if  the  paper  stretches  or  expands  the 
work  can  not  be  done  in  a  satisfactory  way. 

Provide  cheese  cloth  cut  in  small  pieces  for  use  in 
rubbing  down  the  pasted  parts,  and  for  keeping  the 
fingers  clean,  etc.  These  should  be  used  only  a  few 
times. 

Cleanliness  and  neatness  are  absolutely  essential  to 
good  mending. 


MENDING   OF  BOOKS  13 

There  are  various  powdered  pastes  on  the  market  used  by 
book-binders,  bill-posters,  paper-hangers  and  others.  Spon 
Tern  or  Steko,  manufactured  by  Clark  Paper  &  Twine  Co., 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  Rex  Dry  Paste,  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  are 
both  excellent  in  adhesive  qualities  and  easily  prepared,  mix- 
ing with  either  hot  or  cold  water  and  without  cooking. 

An  excellent  mixed  paste  is  made  by  the  Commercial 
Paste  Co.,  Columbus,  Ohio,  called  Gleich's  "Gluey"  Paste. 
This,  as  its  name  implies,  has  some  glue  mixed  with  it  and 
is  quick  drying  and  strongly  adhesive.  Arabol  Book  Glue, 
Arabol  Mnfg.  Co.,  100  William  St.,  N.  Y.  City,  is  highly 
recommended.  Purchase  in  large  or  small  quantities.  The 
various  pastes  used  in  the  school  "hand  work"  are  good, 
and  come  under  the  general  name  of  school  pastes. 

RECIPE  FOR  FLOUR  PASTE.  Mix  a  thin  batter  of  flour  and 
water,  cook  and  as  it  thickens  add  hot  water  until  right 
consistency  and  until  thoroughly  cooked.  It  will  be  well 
cooked  when  all  milky  appearance  of  the  flour  and  water 
has  disappeared  and  when  bubbles  of  air  begin  to  explode 
through  the  mixture.  After  taking  from  the  fire  a  pre- 
servative may  be  added  if  desired,  such  as  a  half  teaspoonful 
of  oil  of  wintergreen  to  a  pint  of  paste. 

At  times  it  is  desirable  to  do  some  simple  pasting,  such 
as  tipping  in  a  single  leaf  or  label,  and  for  such  work  any 
good  library  paste  is  a  great  convenience. 

WAYS  TO  MEND 

Avoid  too  much  mending. 

Paper  used  for  mending  should  be  cut  lengthwise  with  the 
grain  of  the  paper. 

Cloth  should  be  cut  the  long  way  of  the  material. 

In  mending  always  use  paper  of  lighter  weight  than  the 
book.  For  books  printed  on  heavily  coated  paper,  tissue  or 
bond  is  too  light,  but  paper  cut  from  margins  of  advertising 
pages  of  magazines  is  a  suitable  weight. 

PAGES 

TORN  THROUGH  THE  PRINTING  may  be  mended  as  follows: 
(1)  Use  ungumrried,  transparent  mending  paper,  cut- 
ting it  the  size  and  shape  of  the  tear,  and  about  one-half 


14  MENDING   OF  BOOKS 

inch  wide.  Apply  a  thin  coat  of  paste  to  the  strip  and 
fit  it  carefully  over  the  tear,  having  first  placed  a  strip 
of  waste  paper  under  the  torn  leaf  to  absorb  extra  paste. 

(2)  For  finer  or  better  class  of  books,  upon  which  more 
time  and  care  may  profitably  be  spent,  rub  a  very  little 
paste  on  the  torn  edges,  place  torn  edges  together,  then 
take  a  rather  large  piece  of  ordinary  tissue  paper  and 
rub  it  gently  along  the  tear  so  that  the  tissue  paper  will 
adhere  to  the  torn  edges. 

Put  under  press,  and  when  dry  the  superfluous  tissue 
paper  should  be  torn  off,  using  care  to  pull  always  toward 
the  tear  and  from  both  sides  at  the  same  time.  The  deli- 
cate fibre  of  the  tissue  paper  acts  as  an  adhesive  and  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  discern  the  way  in  which  the  mend- 
ing has  been  done. 

TORN    IN    THE    MARGIN 

Use  thin,  firm  mending  paper,  preferably  a  tint  to  match 
paper  of  the  book. 

Cut  a  strip  one-half  inch  wide  corresponding  to  the  size 
and  shape  of  the  tear,  apply  paste  and  trim  even  with 
the  edge  of  the  leaf. 

When  these  processes  are  used,  place  books  in  press  or 
under  a  weight,  until  thoroughly  dry. 

There  are  gummed  papers  for  this  purpose  but  care  should 
be  taken  in  their  selection  as  some  are  likely  to  darken  and 
discolor. 

LEAVES 

When  loose  leaves  are  replaced  the  greatest  care  should 
be  taken  to  make  sure  that  they  do  not  extend  beyond  the 
edge  of  the  book.  If  this  occurs,  it  shows  careless  or  inex- 
perienced mending. 

LOOSE  LEAVES  may  be  inserted  in  several  ways: 

(1)  If  the  leaf  fits  exactly  into  the  book,  it  may  be 
tipped  in  by  applying  paste  to  one-eighth  inch  of  its 
inner  margin. 

Place  the  loose  leaf  in  the  book,  the  outer  edge  even 
with  the  book,  and  rub  down  the  pasted  inner  margin 
against  the  next  leaf  with  bone  folder. 

Put  the  book  in  press  until  dry. 


MENDING  OF  BOOKS  15 

Illustrations  may  be  tipped-fn  in  this  way  when  it  is  de- 
sirable to  preserve  them. 

(2)  If  it  is  found  by  measuring  that  the   leaf  when 
inserted,  will  extend  beyond  the  edge  of  the  book,  fold 
the  leaf  at  the  inner  margin  over  a  ruler  edge,  or  other 
straight  edge,  slightly  more  than  one-eighth  of  an  inch, 
thus  making  a  hinge.     Apply  paste   to  this  hinge   with 
the  finger.     Place  leaf  in  the  book  and  push  well  back; 
rub  the  little  pasted  hinge  down  with  bone  folder,  being 
careful  to  leave  no  free  paste. 

(3)  In  case  the  quality  of  the  paper  of  the  leaf  to  be 
inserted  will  not  stand  the  tipping-in  process,  or  is  badly 
worn  at  the  inner  margin,  it  may  be  inserted  by  a  guard. 
Fold   a  half-inch  strip  of  onion  skin  paper,  lengthwise. 
Apply  a  thin  coat  of  paste  to  the  outside  of  this  strip. 
Attach  half  of  the  strip  to  the  inner  edge  of  the  loose 
leaf,   and  the   other   half  to  the   adjoining  page   in   the 
book,  close  in  by  the  fold.    Trim  edge  of  leaf  if  it  pro- 
jects.    Put  in  press  until  dry. 

Do  not  use  gummed  muslin  for  this  work.  It  destroys 
the  chance  of  proper  rebinding  and  detracts  from  the  appear- 
ance of  the  rebound  book. 

SECTIONS 

When  more  than  one  section,  sometimes  called  signature, 
is  loose  in  a  book  which  is  worth  rebinding,  it  should  be 
rebound  at  once. 

When  the  thread  in  one  section  only  is  broken,  or  one 
section  only  is  loose  in  a  rebound  book  and  the  rest  of  the 
binding  is  intact,  the  section  should  be  inserted.  To  avoid 
further  ravelling,  it  is  necessary  to  secure  the  broken  threads 
of  the  book  either  by  fastening  them  together,  or  attaching 
to  new  threads;  also  that  the  loose  section  is  sewed  or  tied 
through  the  super  on  the  back  t)f  the  book. 

LOOSE  SECTIONS  may  be  inserted  as  follows: 

If  the  folds  of  the  leaves  in  the  loose  section  are  torn  or 
thin,  they  should  be  mended  before  replacing  the  section. 
Take  a  half-inch  strip  of  thin,  firm  paper,  the  length  of 
the  page ;  fold  through  the  middle  lengthwise  and  paste 
down  through  the  center  fold  of  the  leaves.  A  touch  of 
paste  along  the  fold  of  each  will  hold  all  the  sheets 
together. 

Open  the  book  at  the  place  where  the  section  is  loose. 


16  MENDING  OF  BOOKS 

(When  the  book  is  open  the  back  of  the  book  separates 
from  the  cover.) 

Open  the  loose  section  and  place  it  in  the  proper  position 
in  the  book.  Near  the  top  and  bottom  in  the  center  fold 
of  the  section  will  be  seen  the  holes  which  were  made 
by  the  binder. 

Thread  a  needle  with  Barbour's  linen  thread  No.  40, 
or  Hayes'  linen  thread  No.  25,  and  tie  new  thread  to 
broken  end  of  thread  in  book. 

Pass  the  needle  through  the  hole  at  the  top  of  the  loose 
section  and  out  between  the  book  and  its  loose  back. 
Do  not  pull  the  thread  clear  through. 

Drop  the  needle  and  thread  down  between  the  back  of 
the  book  and  the  loose  back  to  the  bottom. 

Run  the  needle  and  thread  from  the  outside  in  through 
the  hole  at  the  bottom  of  the  loose  section. 

Pass  the  needle  and  thread  around  again  in  the  same 
way.  Draw  tight  and  tie  with  a  hard  knot  at  tke  point 
of  beginning. 

JOINTS 

Books  in  the  ordinary  case  or  publishers'  binding  will, 
after  a  short  period  of  use,  show  signs  of  weakness  in  the 
joints  (where  the  book  and  cover  are  attached).  The  paper 
cracks  and  both  it  and  the  super  on  the  back  of  the  book 
loosen  and  unless  immediate  attention  is  given  the  stitching 
breaks  and  the  book  must  go  to  the  bindery. 

This  super  is  a  loosely  woven  cotton  cloth  which  is  glued 
on  the  backs  of  books  to  help  hold  the  sections  together,  and 
extends  from  the  back  of  the  book  to  the  inside  of  the  cover 
to  help  hold  the  book  and  cover  together.  In  the  publishers' 
bindings,  this  super  is  usually  all  that  holds  a  book  in  the 
cover. 

LOOSE  JOINTS  may  be 

REINFORCED  by  tightening  and  stripping. 

Hold  the  book  open  in  an  upright  position  on  the  table. 
The  back  will  separate  in  a  curve  from  body  of  book; 
with  the  round  brush  apply  paste  between  the  loose 
back  and  the  book,  along  the  joints  only.  If  too  much 
paste  is  used  it  will  spread  over  the  back,  causing  the 
cloth  cover  to  become  wrinkled  and  title  illegible.  Close 


MENDING   OF  BOOKS  17 

the  book,  care  being  taken  to  push  book  well  back  in 
cover,  and  with  bone  folder  rub  well  along  the  joints, 
squeezing  out  any  extra  paste  at  head  and  foot.  Dry 
under  weight  for  a  half-day  at  least. 

Then  with  knife  clean  off  the  ragged  edges  of  torn 
paper  along  the  joint  inside  the  cover.  Place  the  book 
flat  upon  the  table,  the  front  cover  open,  take  book  of 
similar  thickness  and  place  under  open  cover. 

Take  a  strip  of  muslin  or  paper.  Cut  this  strip  the 
exact  length  of  the  book,  and  apply  thick  paste  so  that 
the  paper  or  cloth  will  not  stretch. 

Paste  one-half  of  this  strip  to  the  fly-leaf  and  the  other 
half  of  the  strip  on  the  cover  of  the  book.  Make  sure 
that  the  strip  is  smoothly  laid,  not  stretched  too  tightly 
from  book  to  cover,  or  it  will  pull  up  first  pages  when 
book  is  used ;  if  too  loosely  stretched  it  is  unsightly  and 
fails  of  its  purpose;  allow  the  book  to  remain  open  until 
the  strip  is  dry.  Repeat  this  process  for  the  back  cover. 

RECASING 

When  the  stitching  has  not  broken,  and  the  paper  is  of 
good  quality  a  book  may  be  removed  entirely  from  its  cover 
and  recased. 

In  recasing,  painstaking  care  is  required  and  books  must 
be  in  condition  specified  to  obtain  satisfactory  results. 

Take  a  sharp  knife  and  cut  through  the  super  at  both 
joints.  This  super  is  easily  lifted  from  the  inside  of  the 
book  cover.  Pull  it  off  the  back  of  the  book,  taking  great 
care  in  this,  and  remove  all  particles  of  dried  glue. 

Take  white  outing  flannel,  which  is  light  in  weight  and 
double-faced,  or  canton  flannel  (downy  side  towards  the 
book),  or  cheesecloth.  Cut  a  strip  as  long  as  the  back 
of  the  book  and  two  inches  wider;  paste  this  over  the 
back  only,  allowing  an  inch  extension  on  each  side.  Do 
not,  in  this  first  process,  put  paste  on  the  extensions. 
Draw  the  cloth  over  the  rounded  edges  of  the  back  (or 
joints)  ;  rub  the  back  well  with  bone  folder  and  also 
over  the  rounded  edges,  but  do  not  paste  the  cloth  down 
beyond  the  rounded  edges.  During  this  process  hold  the 
back  of  the  book  so  that  the  sections,  or  signatures,  will 
not  separate.  After  thorough  rubbing  let  dry. 

Apply  paste  to  inside  of  book  covers  one  inch  next  the 
joints;  do  not  put  paste  on  back  of  book.  Place  book  in 
cover,  pushing  well  back,  making  sure  that  it  is  correctly 


18  MENDING  OF  BOOKS 

placed.  Paste  down  the  one-inch  extension  of  cloth, 
laying  waste  paper  between  it  and  book;  close  book, 
rub  joints  well  with  bone  folder  and  allow  to  dry 
thoroughly. 

Strip  joints,  following  instructions  for  re-inf orcing ;  paste 
clean  paper  lining  on  book  covers,  press  and  dry.  The 
book  should  then  be  opened  as  carefully  as  a  new  book. 

PRESSING 

This  adds  greatly  to  the  appearance  of  the  mended  or 
repaired  books.  Do  not  place  weights  over  the  rounded  back 
of  a  book. 

Place  the  pressing  boards  or  tins  over  the  covers  of  the 
book  only,  even  with,  but  not  extending  over,  the  joints. 

Pressure  on  the  rounded  back  will  weaken  a  book  in  the 
most  vital  part. 

DO  NOT— 

use  too  much  paste. 

use  Lepage's  glue  or  any  mucilage. 

use  cloth  strips  in  a  book  except  at  the  joint. 

paste  heavily  up  the  back  unless  a  very  old  and  not  valu- 
able book. 

overmend  on  a  book  which  will  ultimately  be  bound. 

allow  loose  pages  to  be  slipped  up  in  the  book  above  the 
top  of  book. 

use  heavier  paper  for  patching  than  paper  of  book. 

ALWAYS- 

handle  books  carefully, 
allow  sufficient  drying. 

have  plenty. of  waste  papers  and  discard  when  soiled, 
wash  brushes  well  each  day. 

pile  up  books  alternating  the  backs  with  the  foredges. 
They  will  stand  erect  and  not  slip  or  slide. 

MISSING  PAGES 

When  a  page  is  missing  and  it  is  impossible  to  replace  the 
book  with  a  new  copy,  the  page  may  be  typewritten  and 
tipped  in. 


MENDING  OF  BOOKS  19 

When  it  is  necessary  to  rebind  the  book,  the  margin  of 
the  typewritten  page  should  be  left  an  inch  wider  on  each  side 
than  the  regular  margin.  This  is  for  the  convenience  of  the 
binder,  who  will  trim  down  the  margin  in  process  of  re- 
binding. 

Make  typewritten  page  conform  to  size  and  shape  of 
printed  page. 

NOTATION  FOR  DAMAGES 

When  there  is  an  injury  to  a  book  which  is  allowed  to 
remain  in  circulation,  the  reading  public  should  be  made 
aware  that  the  damage  is  known  to  the  library  by  a  nota- 
tion, with  date,  near  the  injury,  e.g., 

"Damage  noted  1  Mr.  '20,  Free  Public  Library." 

WAYS  TO  CLEAN 

The  book  should  be  cleaned  as  well  as  mended.  Careful 
attention  should  be  given  to  the  cleanliness  of  the  books  in 
circulation.  There  is  nothing  that  more  quickly  creates  a 
distaste  for  the  use  of  a  public  library  than  the  handling  of 
soiled  and  grimy  books. 

Careful  study  of  the  paper  upon  which  books  are  printed 
is  necessary,  and  in  cleaning  the  fact  that  different  papers 
and  finishes  require  different  treatment  must  be  taken  into 
account.  The  spongy  feather-weight  paper  upon  which  much 
of  the  fiction  .is  printed  is  difficult  to  clean.  Pencil  marks 
may  be  erased  with  art  gum  used  gently;  soil  of  any  other 
kind  is  almost  impossible  to  remove.  Heavily  clay-coated 
paper  may  be  cleaned  with  powdered  pumice  or  a  hard 
eraser.  Highly  calendered  paper  and  any  hand  made  paper 
may  be  cleaned  with  a  damp  cloth;  cleaning  but  a  few 
pages  at  a  time  and  allowing  book  to  remain  open  until  dry. 

PAGES 

Soiled  pages  may  be  cleaned  in  the  following  ways: 

With  art  gum,  rub  gently  and  slowly,  holding  the  page 
flat  with  the  left  hand  to  prevent  tearing. 

With  powdered  pumice  stone,  rub  on  with  a  clean  cloth. 
With  damp  cloth,  be  careful  that  cloth  is  not  too  wet. 


20  MENDING   OF  BOOKS 

Rub  always  from  inner  margin  of  the  page  outward,  to 
prevent  crumpling 

Brush  off  carefully  all  particles  of  rubber,  or  pumice 
stone,  allowing  none  to  remain  in  the  folds  between  the 
leaves. 

Mud  stains  may  be  removed  by  using  a  soft  brush  or 
sponge,  with  a  preparation  of  the  following  proportions: 
One  cup  water,  one  teaspoon  ammonia,  four  drops  carbolic 
acid.  Avoid  too  much  rubbing  or  print  will  blur.  Slip  the 
pressing  tin  under  the  page,  and  after  washing,  place  white 
blotting  paper  on  each  side  of  the  leaf. 

Ink  stains  may  be  removed  by  one  of  the  standard  ink 
eradicators  to  be  obtained  of  local  stationer  or  druggist. 

Edges  of  the  leaves  may  be  cleaned  by  sandpapering,  hold- 
ing the  leaves  of  the  book  very  firmly  together,  or  putting 
book  into  press. 

COVERS 

SOILED  COVERS  may  be  cleaned  by  using  a  hard  eraser, 
pumice  stone  or  soap  and  water.  The  best  results  are 
obtained  by  the  use  of  the  following  wash: 

Two  parts  good  vinegar  and  one  part  water.  Apply 
with  a  clean  cloth  and  rub  hard  until  dirt  is  removed, 
then  place  upright  to  dry.  This  should  not  be  used  on 
leather. 

The  book  should  then  be  shellacked. 

SHELLACKED  COVERS.  New  books  may  receive  preliminary 
care  by  shellacking  before  placing  in  circulation.  Shellacking 
the  covers,  especially  those  in  light  colors,  provides  great 
protection  from  dirt,  and  they  are  then  easily  washed  with 
the  vinegar  and  water.  Another  coat  of  shellac  is  advisable 
after  washing. 

To  shellac,  hold  the  book  by  the  printed  matter  and 
apply  the  shellac,  which  may  be  diluted  with  a  little 
wood  alcohol,  taking  care  to  shellac  the  edges  well.  Give 
two  coats ;  between  coats  suspend  on  a  cord  over  night 
to  dry.  After  the  last  coat,  rub  with  soft  cloth  slightly 
oiled  with  olive  oil.  This  prevents  sticking. 

If  the  books  are  labeled  before  shellacking,  the  ink 
must  be  allowed  to  dry  thoroughly  or  it  may  run;  in 
removing  the  labels,  use  wood  alcohol  first  to  cut  the 
shellac  and  then  soak  off  with  blotting  paper  and  water. 


MENDING   OF  BOOKS  21 

Care  should  be  taken  in  the  selection  of  the  shellac;  if 
not,  the  books  will  be  gummy  and  hard. 

The  leather  on  bound  magazines  and  books  often  becomes 
very  dry  and  will  split  and  crack.  This  is  especially  true  of 
books  not  greatly  used,  as  the  oil  of  the  hands  acts  as  a 
great  preservative.  To  prevent  this  cracking  and  splitting, 
some  oil  is  necessary.  Vaseline  is  good  for  this,  applied  with 
a  cotton  pad  covered  with  a  soft  cloth,  and  should  remain 
on  the  leather  for  a  day  to  permit  absorption  of  the  oil. 
Some  leathers  will  absorb  a  second  application,  after  which 
books  may  be  rubbed  down  and  returned  to  shelves.  The 
oil  or  vaseline  does  not  harm  the  gilding.  This  may  be 
done  once  a  year,  depending  upon  the  condition  of  heat  in 
library  and  upon  age  and  condition  of  leather  bound  books. 

WORN  COVERS  may  be  replaced  on  books  with  leather  backs 
by  removing  cloth  from  the  boards  dry,  and  using  this  as  a 
pattern  from  which  to  cut  new  cloth  or  paper.  Reline  inside 
of  boards  with  paper. 

COVERS  SPLIT  AT  JOINT.  Strips  of  cloth  in  assorted  colors 
may  be  obtained  with  other  mending  supplies  to  reinforce 
covers  split  at  the  joints. 

This  cloth  may  be  obtained  gummed  or  ungummed;  if 
ungummed,  use  paste;  if  gummed,  moisten  with  thin  paste. 

BINDING  RECORD 

PREPARATION  OF  BOOKS  FOR  THE  BINDERY.  Closely  related 
to  the  work  of  mending  and  repair  of  books  is  the  prepara- 
tion of  books  for  the  bindery.  Binders  have  complained  of 
the  careless  and  unbusiness-like  methods  of  some  librarians 
in  this  matter.  Attention  should  always  be  given  to  the 
following : 

Handle  a  book  to  be  bound  with  more  care  than  when 
the  binding  is  sound. 

Collate  every  book  to  make  sure  that  no  pages  are  miss- 
ing, unless  it  is  ascertained  that  the  binder  includes  this 
process  in  his  work. 

Many  librarians  have  ceased  to  make  bindery  slips, 
except  in  the  case  of  important  books  requiring  complicated 
titles  or  for  magazines.  When  slip  is  not  made,  an  ex- 
cellent way  to  indicate  the  lettering  for  the  back  of 


22  MENDING  OF  BOOKS 

book  is  to  underscore  lightly  in  lead  pencil  on  title  page, 
the  specific  words  in  title  desired;  for  author  under- 
score twice. 

The  material  to  be  used  for  binding  is  generally  de- 
cided upon  in  advance  by  conference  or  correspondence 
with  binder. 

Magazines  should  be  carefully  examined  to  make  sure 
that  each  volume  is  complete,  including  title  page  and 
index.  The  librarian  should  write  to  the  publisher  for 
these,  if  they  are  not  received  within  a  reasonable  time 
after  the  volume  is  completed.  If  missing,  instruct  binder 
to  bind  in  stubs  so  that  they  may  be  inserted  when 
obtained. 

In  giving  directions  for  magazines  to  be  bound  with 
stubs,  state  whether  stubs  are  to  be  at  the  beginning 
or  end  of  the  volume.  Look  over  previous  volumes  of 
set  that  your  volumes  may  be  uniform  in  the  placing  of 
the  index,  and  follow  the  printer's  arrangement. 

Send  an  alphabetical  list  of  the  books  to  the  bindery  for 
checking  purposes.  Keep  a  duplicate  copy. 

File  alphabetically  in  charging  tray  the  book  cards  that 
have  been  removed  from  the  books;  charge  these  to  the 
bindery. 

Magazines  should  have  a  bindery  slip  made  and  a 
sample  volume  already  bound  sent  that  each  set  may  be 
uniform  as  to  color  of  cover,  lettering,  etc.  A  rubbing 
of  a  bound  volume  can  easily  be  made  and  sent  in  place 
of  the  volume.  If  the  binder  has  previously  bound  mag- 
azines for  you  he  has  doubtless  made  sample  backs  for 
his  own  convenience.  The  slip  should  show  definitely 
the  placing  and  abbreviations  of  volume  numbers,  dates, 
etc. 

WHEN  BOOKS  ARE  RETURNED  FROM  THE  BINDERY.  Exam- 
ine carefully  for  flexibility — should  not  be  too  stiff  and  hard 
to  open;  evenness  of  cover;  compactness;  correct  and  even 
lettering;  reasonably  wide  margins. 

Check  books  with  duplicate  list. 

Pay  no  bills  until  all  mistakes  are  rectified.  Mistakes 
in  lettering  can  be  corrected,  and  when  this  occurs  return 
to  the  bindery. 

Enter  in  accession  book  under  "remarks,"  opposite  the 
entry  of  each  book  the  date  when  the  book  was  rebound: 


MENDING  OF  BOOKS  23 

e.  g.,  "reb'd  1  Jc.,  '20";  also  on  inside  of  lower  front  cover 
near  the  joint.  A  rubber  stamp  at  small  expense  may  be 
ordered  from  any  stamp  works,  with  the  word  "reb'd"  to  be 
inserted  in  the  pencil  date  holder  with  the  date.  This  saves 
writing. 

Enter  on  the  monthly  report  blank  the  total  number  of 
books  rebound.  (This  gives  data  for  yearly  total  and  obvi- 
ates the  necessity  of  keeping  binding  book.) 

TEMPORARY  BINDERS 

The  Gaylord  Bros.'  red  rope  binder  provides  an  inexpen- 
sive magazine  binder,  both  for  the  current  periodicals  in  use 
in  the  reading  room  and  those  in  circulation.  The  cover  of 
the  magazine  may  be  pasted  on  the  outside  of  the  binder,  and 
after  the  current  month  the  magazine  may  be  circulated  just 
as  a  book,  without  damage  for  future  binding.  A  good 
quality  of  wrapping  paper  may  be  used  in  place  of  the  red 
rope  paper.  It  is  less  expensive  and  wears  fairly  well. 

Information  as  to  terms  used  in  binding  and  mending  and 
illustrations  of  the  structure  of  a  book  may  be  found  in  the 
following : 

A.  L.  A.  Committee — Binding  for  libraries 

A.  L.  A.  Publishing  Board 

Bailey,  A.  L. — Library  Bookbinding Wilson  Co. 

Cockrell,  Douglass — Book  binding  and  the  care  of  books. . 

Appleton 

Courts,  H.  T.,  and  Stephens,  G.  A.— Manual  of  library 

book  binding Libraco,  London 

Dana,  J.  C. — Book  binding  for  libraries. .  .Library  Bureau 


RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desk  of  any 

University  of  California  Library 

or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
Bldg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 
2- month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 

(510)642-6753 
1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books 

to  NRLF 
Renewals    and    recharges    may    be    made    4    days 

prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


JUL191995 


20,000  (4/94) 


